Roadway ripper



. 5, 1933. R. c. SHERMAN ROADWAY RIPPER File d Nov. 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l TTORNEY INVENTOR 16w 65/![6774/1 BY M9 QNN . 5, 1933. R. c. SHERMAN ROADWAY RIPPER Filed Nov. 3, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 &

INVIENTOR BY Rm 0. 5HRMHIY ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROADWAY RIPPER Application November 3, 1930. Serial No. 492,958

18 Claims.

This invention relates to road making machines, and it has reference more particularly to machines of that character known as roadway rippers it being the principal object of this invention to provide a machine of an improved type, especially in those details which render the machine more serviceable and more easily and more efficiently operable. Also, to construct a machine in which provision is made for quickly and effectively clearing the ripper teeth of roots, stumps, rocks, or other debris that may be picked up by the teeth in the use of the machine; that is, to make the machine automatically self dumping.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a machine of the above character in which provision is made for adjusting and maintaining the ripper teeth at different working depths, or clear of the ground.

Another object of the invention is to provide means 'for automatically raising the tooth mounting frame when this is desired, by engaging a latch device with one of the ground wheels, and to provide for an automatic release of the latch after the frame has been lifted and debris dumped from the teeth, to permit automatic lowering of the frame.

More specifically stated, the present invention resides in the provision of a roadway ripper comprising a. main frame that is wheel supported and adapted to be drawn by attachment to a tractor, or the like, and which, across its rear portion, supports a hingedly movable frame in which a' plurality of ground ripper teeth are mounted; there being means associated with this hinged frame whereby it may be adjusted to retain the teeth at various working depths, or to raise them clear of the ground and to dump therefrom the debris which they may have picked up.

Other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction of the various parts, their combination and mode of operation, as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these objects, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a roadway ripper embodying the present invention; the teeth being shown in lowered position,

Fig. 2 is a detail view in side elevation, of the latch bar and parts directly associated therewith.

Fig. 3 is a plan, or top view of the machine.

frame between the medial beams and opposite end beams. The two end beams 3 and 4 extend forwardly of the forward cross beam 1 and are then drawn together to join with the forward ends of the medial beams in forming a draft bar 9 for the machine; this being equipped at its forward end with a yoke 10, or other device for attachment to a tractor, or other vehicle used to draw the machine.

The rear frame B is of rectangular form and is of awidth substantially equal to that of the main frame to which it is hingedly attached by means of a hinge shaft 12. This shaft extends through a plurality of alined mounting lugs 13 fixed at regular intervals to the rear cross beam 2 of frame A. It also extends pivotally through the forward ends of a series of paired bars, or beams 14-44 constituting a part of the frame B and between which the lugs 13 are fitted. This hinged connection of frame B with frame A permits the frame B to swing upwardly and downwardly about the pivot shaft 12 from the full line position of Figure 1 to the dotted line positions.

The rear frame, beside the several bars 14-44, comprises also a plurality of transversely extended angle iron beams 15-16 and 17 that are riveted or otherwise fixed to the bars 14 in a manner rendering the frame substantially rigidand suitable for mounting the ripper teeth.

It is to be understood that the parts constituting the frame structures are of angle iron, or any other suitable materials riveted, bolted, or otherwise joined together and that these parts shall be of such character as to be sufficiently strong and durable for the purpose intended.

The main frame A is mounted by two supporting, ground wheels 20-20 fixed on an axle 21 which extends transversely of the frame and is rotatable in bearings 22, that are fixed to the end and to the intermediate beams, as shown in Figure 3. The wheels are disposed just within the opposite side beams 3 and 4 and should be of the usual tractor type having wide, fiat rim portions equipped with traction cleats.

The ripper teeth 23 are mounted rigidly in the frame B. Each tooth has its mounting shank 23'- securely bolted at its upper end, as at 24, between the rearward portions of a pair of bars 14-14 and, at its lower end, which curves forwardly, is equipped with a detachable tooth point 23 which is forwardly directed so that when drawn forwardly through the ground the tooth will operate to dig it up after the fashion of a plow. The present construction is such that when the hinged frame is in horizontal position, the ripper teeth will project about twelve inches below the surface, but this depth, as will presently be described, may be varied. However, there are supports 27fixed rigidly to the main frame to extend rearwardly thereof as supporting stops against which the rear frame may rest to prevent its dropping down beyond this horizontal position to a greater depth.

An important feature of this invention resides in the self dumping operation of the ripper teeth. As best shown in Figure 1 there is a pair of well braced brackets 3030 fixed centrally upon the rear frame B. Pivotally connected to the upper ends of these brackets by a connecting pin 31 is a heavily constructed latch bar 32 which extends forwardly across the main frame A and at its forward end is movably contained between spaced guide standards 3333 that are fixed rigidly, and well braced, upon the frame. This latch bar is normally supported at its forward end on a bolt or pin 34 that is extended between these standards 33-33 and the bar is notched, as at 35 and 36 to seat the pin for different positions of adjustment of the teeth and to thereby retain the bar against forward movement by reason of pressure exerted in a rearward direction against the teeth when the device is in use. As will be noted, these notches 35 and 36 are formed with a vertical abutment wall so that pressure against the pins will have no tendency to raise or release the bar therefrom, and, for this reason, and also by reason of the weight of the bar, no extra means is required for holding the bar against upward displacement.

When it is desired to adjust the setting of the teeth from the lowest position, as shown in full lines in Figure l, to a position of lesser depth, such as to the dotted line position designated at C, or to the dumping position designated at D, it is first necessary to raise the latch bar to unseat and disconnect it from the pin 34. For this purpose, I provide a releasing cam wheel 38 supported by short, swingingly movable lever arms 39 fixed on a supporting shaft 40 that is mounted rotatably in bearings 41-41 fixed to the standards 33-33 just below the latch bar. This cam roller has rolling contact with the under side of the latch bar and the shaft 40 has a long lever 43 fixed to one end thereof whereby the shaft may be rotatably actuated to swing the roller up against the latch bar to thereby lift the bar upwardly to free it from the holding pin 34. This frees the latch bar so as to permit the frame B to swing upwardly on its hinge shaft. Then, for automatically dumping the frame to clear the teeth of the debris, or for adjusting it to a. raised position, I provide a mechanism comprising a cross shaft 50 rotatably mounted rearwardly of the main shaft 21, in supporting bearings 51-51.

This shaft has an upwardly and rearwardly extending lever arm 52 fixed to one end thereof which, at its upper end carries a stud or pin 53 that is slidable in a vertical slot 54 in the latch bar. At the other end, the shaft 50 has a lever arm 55 fixed thereto, and to this arm a latch 53 is pivotally attached by a pivot 57. The latch 56 has a downwardly turned end book 58 directly overlying the space between a pair of disks 59-59 fixed coaxially to the inner face of the ground wheel 20 at that side of the frame and between which disks there extends a circular row of studs or pivots 59'. Normally, this latch hook 58 is supported in the clear by a coiled spring 60 attached to the latch and also to a support 61 mounted on the frame, but when it is desired to dump or raise the frame while the machine is moving forward, the latch lever is actuated downwardly to cause its end hook 58 to be contacted by one of the studs 59 so that, by reason of the forward travel of the pin with the wheel, the latch will be pulled forwardly and this, through the medium of lever 55 and shaft 50, will swing the lever 52 forwardly and will thereby move the latch bar 32 forwardly to cause the rear frame to swing pivotally upward about the shaft 12 to finally bring the frame to the dumping position indicated in dotted lines at D of Figure l, at which position the teeth 23 will be raised free of the ground and all debris dumped therefrom. When this dumping position has been reached, the latch hook is automatically released from the wheel pin 59 by reason of the next oncoming stud 59' striking against the lower edge of the latch and thereby raising its hooked end free. when the latch hook is thus released, the frame B falls back of its own weight to bring the teeth against the ground. Then to again seat the bar, the machine is backed up so that the rolling action thereby produced between the rounded back edges of the teeth shanks and the ground will cause the latch bar to move rearwardly until the desired notch 35 or 36 is in a position properly alined with the pin 34 to receive it, then the latch bar is lowered by permitting lever 43 to swing rearwardly to lower the cam wheel 38. If it is desired to work at a shallow depth, as indicated at C, the pin should be seated in notch 35. If full depth is desired, it is seated in notch 36.

For actuating the latch hook into contact with the studs of the wheel disks, I have attached a lever 62 to it which extends upwardly and rearwardly. Cables 63 and 64 are shown attached to the upper ends of levers 43 and 62, respectively, and these would be extended to a position accessible to an operator on the tractor or device drawing the machine.

Fixed to the top edge of the latch bar 32 and extending longitudinally of it, is a rack 65. This is adapted, when the latch bar is suiliciently raised, such as to its dotted line position in Figure 1, to mesh with a pinion 66 fixed on a shaft 67 extended between the standards 33-33. The shaft 67 has a ratchet lever 68 pivoted on one end thereof with a sliding tooth 69 for engaging a ratchet '70 that is keyed on the shaft. By this lever device,.the shaft and pinion may be rotated and the bar thereby manually shifted to raise the frame B. This manner of manipulation aids greatly in connecting the device to the draft machine, since it is possible when the teeth 23 of the device are engaging the ground, to

when the frame is in the raised, dumping position, and it has a vertical abutment wall faced oppositely to those of notches 35-36 so that it effectively holds against the rearward pull of the bar. Assuming the parts of the device to be.

so constructed and assembled, it is used as follows:

with the parts as in Figure 1,,the teeth 23 of the device will operate to their maximum depth to tear up the roadway and to remove all stones, roots, stumps, etc., which are of sufllcient size to interfere with the grading work to follow. Whenever the teeth become clogged with debris, or whenever it is desired to raise them for dumping or for any other purpose, the operator pulls on the cable 63 to swing the cam roller 38 upwardly against the latch bar to lift the bar free of the holding pin 34. He then pulls on cable 64 to swing the free end of latch lever 56 downwardly to cause its end hook 58 to be engaged by a pin 59', of the wheel disks 59 so that forward travel of the wheel causes the latch to be pulled forwardly with it, to operate through the lever 55,'shaft 50 and lever 52, to shift the latch bar 32 forwardly and through the connection provided to cause the tooth mounting frame .8 to be swungupwardly to dumping position D indicated. The latch hook 58 is then automatically released by reason of the next oncoming wheel pin 59 engaging the latch lever to push it upwardly. The frame then drops back plac ing the teeth on the ground. The latch bar 32 is then adjusted, by a controlled backing of the machine, to bring the notch 35 or 36 into position to receive the holding pin. Then the bar is lowered to seat the notch over the pin, by releasing lever -43 permitting the cam roller 38 to swing downwardly to normal position.

If it is desired to retain the ripper teeth in their raised position, the notch 69 is seated over the pin.

Road making machines of this character are especially useful in wooded districts, or in stony or rocky ground since they permit an easy and quick dumping of debris picked by the teeth. They are also very desirable since they permit of quick and easy adjustment of teeth to different depths for deep or shallow work.

While I have described the preferred construction, it is quite readily apparent that changes in details of construction-might be made without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired that the scope of the claims be limited to the device only as shown, but that they be broadly interpreted commensurate with the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A machine of the character described comprising a ground vehicle including a stationary element, a frame structure hingedly attached to the rear thereof for upward and downward adjustment and having downwardly directed ground working teeth therein, a brace beam connected at one end to the hingedly attached frame and overlying the ground vehicle and having recesses at spaced intervals therealong for application selectively to the stationary element of the ground vehicle to retain the hinged frame at definite positions of adjustment and means for displacing the brace beam from holding connection with the stationary element to permit freedom of movement of the beam for adjustment of the hinged frame.

2. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said brace bar normally maintains a holding connection with the ground vehicle by reason of the weight of the bar.

3. A machine of the character described comprising a ground vehicle, a. frame structure hingedly attached thereto for upward and downward adjustment ground working teeth, mounted by the frame structure, a brace bar pivotally connected with the hinged frame structure and releasably connected with the ground vehicle to rigidly hold the hinged frame against upward movement manually operable means for releasing the latter connection for adjustment of the frame structure and means operable through the brace bar to adjust the framestructure.

4. In a machine of the character described, a trailing vehicle having a frame structure and ground wheels, a frame hingedly attached thereto and having a series of ground working teeth mounted therein, a brace bar overlying said frame and connected therewith to normally retain the hinged frame against upward swinging incident to use of the teeth; the connection of the bar with the frame structure of the trailing vehicle being releasable, and means operable by connection with a. wheel of the trailing vehicle and through the medium of the brace bar to swing the hinged frame upwardly.

5. A machine of the character described, comprising a wheeled vehicle, a frame hingedly attached to the rear thereof, a plurality of ground working teeth mounted by the hinged frame, a brace bar attached to the hinged frame and having definite, selective positions for connection with the vehicle frame to retain the hinged [frame at definite positions; each of said connections being normally maintained by weight of the bar and releasable incident to lifting the bar, manual means for lifting the bar and means actuated by a wheel of the moving vehicle and operable through the brace bar to lift the hinged frame.

6. A device as in claim 5 wherein adjustment of the brace bar to definite holding positions is effected through the frame lifting means.

7. A machine of the character described comprising, a wheel supportedmain frame, a secondary frame hingedly attached across the rear thereof, a plurality of ground working teeth mounted by the secondary frame a latch bar connected with the hinged frame and to the main frame whereby the former may be maintained at different positions of adjustment for working the ground to various depths and means actuated by a wheel of the main frame and operating through said latch bar whereby the secondary frame may be swung upwardly to free therteeth of the ground and to dump collected debris therefrom.

8. A roadway machine comprising, a main frame, supporting wheels for the frame, a secondary frame hingedly attached to and supported by the main frame to swing upwardly from its working position to a dumping position, a plurality of ground working teeth mounted by the secondary frame, means whereby the secondary frame may be maintained at the different working positions and means for effecting an operative connection between the said means and a ground wheel of the main frame for automatically swinging the secondary frame to dumping position.

9. A roadway machine comprising, a main frame, supporting wheels for the frame, a secondary frame hingedly attached to the main frame to swing upwardly from its working position to a dumping position, a plurality of ground working teeth mounted by the secondary frame, a latch bar connected at one end with the secondary frame, and a supporting guide on the main frame for the other end of the bar; said guide having a pin therethrough and said bar having notches at intervals therealong adapted to seat over said pin to hold the bar and the secondary frame in set positions.

10. A roadway machine comprising 'a 'main frame, supporting wheels therefor, a secondary frame hinged to the main frame to swing between working and dumping positions, a plurality of ground working teeth mounted by the secondary frame, a latch bar connected atone end with the secondary frame and having downwardly opening notches in its opposite end, a guide on the main frame for the notched end of the bar, having a pin therethrough to seat within a selected notch, and a cam roller mounted on the main frame and adjustable against the latch bar to lift it free of the pin and to support it for longitudinal adjustment in the guide.

11. A roadway machine comprising, a main frame, supporting wheels for the frame, a secondary frame hingedly attached to the main frame along its rear edge and adjustable between working and dumping positions, a plurality of ground working teeth mounted in the secondary frame, a bracket rigidly mounted on the secondary frame, a guide rigidly fixed on the main frame, and having a latch pin there- "through, a latch bar pivotally connected at one end with the bracket of the secondary frame and slidable through the guide on the main frame and having notches at intervals therealong selectively applicable to said pin for retaining the bar and secondary frame at various positions, and means for effecting an operative connection between the said latch bar and one of said ground wheels for actuating the bar to move the secondary frame to dumping position.

12. A roadway machine comprising, a main frame, supporting wheels for the frame, a secondary frame hingedly attached to the main frame along its rear edge and adjustable between working and dumping positions, a plurality of ground working teeth mounted in the secondary frame, a bracket rigidly mounted on the secondary frame, a guide rigidly fixed on the main frame, and having a latch pin therethrough, a latch bar pivotally connected at one end with the bracket of the secondary frame and slidable through the guide on the main frame and having notches at intervals therealong selectively applicable to said pin for retaining the bar and secondary frame at various positions, a series of circularly arranged studs ing an end hook, yieldable mounted by one of 'said ground wheels, and a latch lever having operative connection with said latch bar and having an end hook adapted to be moved into position for engagement by one of said wheel studs to move the latch and elect movement of the latch bar for dumping the secondary frame.

13. A roadway machine comprising a main frame with supporting wheels, a secondary frame hingedly attached thereto along its rear edge and adapted to swing upwardly from different working positions to a dumping position, a plurality of ground working teeth mounted in the secondary frame, a bracket fixed rigidly on the secondary frame, a guide standard fixed on the main frame, a latch pin through the said guide standard, a latch bar pivotally fixed to the bracket and slidable in the guide and having a plurality of notches selectively applicable to the pin to retain the bar and secondary frame at various working positions, means for unseating the bar from said pin to release the bar for adjustment and means operatively connected with the latch bar and adapted to be moved to position for operative connection with one of said ground wheels to effect movement of the latch bar to move the secondary frame to dumping position.

14. A device as in claim 13 wherein the latch bar unseating means comprises a cam wheel, and a lever whereby the wheel may be actuated against the latch bar to raise it free of the latch pin and to support it for adiustment.

15. A roadway machine comprising a main frame with supporting wheels, a secondary frame hingedly attached thereto along its rear edge and adapted to swing upwardly from different working positions to a dumping position, a plurality of ground working teeth mounted in the secondary frame, a bracket fixed rigidly on the secondary frame, a guide standard fixed on the main frame, a latch pin through the said guide standard, a latch bar pivotally fixed to the bracket and slidable in the guide and having a plurality of notches selectively applicable to the pin to retain the bar and secondary frame at various working positions, means for unseating the bar from said pin to release the bar for adjustment, a plurality of studs mounted on one of the wheels concentrically of its axis, a rotatably mounted shaft, a lever arm fixed to the shaft and having operative connection with the latch bar for shifting it, another lever fixed to the shaft, a latch lever attached thereto havmeans normally supporting said hook in non-functional position, means for moving said hook into position for engagement by one of said wheel studs to effect forward shifting of the latch bar with the wheel and dumping action of the secondary frame.

16. In a machine of the character described, a hingedly mounted frame adapted to swing between working and dumping positions, ground working teeth mounted therein, a ground wheel independent of the swinging frame having a plurality of pivot studs arranged circularly thereon concentric of the wheel axis, and means for dumping the frame comprising a latch having an end hook adapted to be moved into holding contact with one of said wheel pivots whereby forward movement of the wheel effects actuation of the dumping means through said latch.

17. A device as in claim 16 wherein the axial line of the ground wheel and axial line about which the secondary frame hinges have no relative movement and the latch hook-is released automatically from its stud as the wheel moves forwardly by the contacting therewith of the next following stud.

18. A roadway machine comprising a main frame, supporting wheels for the frame, a secondary frame hingedly attached to the main frame along its rear edge, to swing upwardly from working position to dumping position, a bracket fixed on the secondary frame, a guide 

